Raleigh, NC, January 20, 2026 â Four North Carolinians were recently appointed by Governor Josh Stein to the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD).
The following individuals join the board to serve on behalf of almost 200,000 people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) in all 100 counties of North Carolina:
- Demi Eckoff holds a masterâs in public health from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill where she also served as a fellow in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program. She is currently attending Johns Hopkins University in pursuit of her DrPH in health equity and social justice. Eckoff, who has a rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy, lives independently and mentors others with I/DD. She is a resident of Durham.
- Mary Grillo represents the Department of Adult Correction, where she is the Director of Social Work. She oversees specialized aftercare planning to enhance services for individuals who are incarcerated and living with mental illnesses, I/DD, and complex medical issues. Grillo has worked in behavioral health and in criminal justice settings for more than 20 years. She lives in Wake County.
- Kimberly Hernandez works as a peer mentor for Chatham Trades. She was one of four keynote speakers for the North Carolina State of the Art conference in October 2024, where she was awarded the Southeast Postsecondary Education Alliance Deb Hart Student Leadership Award. She is a resident of Siler City.
- Kenneth Kelty works as an administrative assistant at Triangle Disability and Autism Services and as a Social/Clinical Research Assistant and Disability Advocate at the UNC Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, with a focus on policy, postsecondary education, and leadership training. Kelty also hosts the podcast Exceeding Expectations with Kenneth Kelty and serves on the board of the Southeastern Postsecondary Education Alliance. He is a resident of Chapel Hill.
NCCDD has 40 members appointed by the Governor of which 60 percent are required to be people with I/DD or family members. Other members include state legislators, top state agency officials and representatives of Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCO) and service providers.
The Council works to identify problems facing the I/DD community as well as fund innovative projects and initiatives that promote NCCDDâs Five- Year State Plan and the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) for all North Carolinians.
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About the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities: The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) works to assure that people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families participate in the design of, and have access to needed community services, individualized supports and other forms of assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity and inclusion in all areas of community life. Through its Five-Year Plan, the Council identifies and funds innovative projects and initiatives that promote the goals of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) for all North Carolinians. www.nccdd.org